Winter has arrived!

With cappuccino in hand, I sit in the Billy Bishop airport in Toronto, awaiting my flight back home to Northern Ontario. My good friend and colleague, Megan and I have been in Toronto for the past 5 days for a conference and a course on emergency procedures in obstetrics. It’s the longest I’ve even been away from Henry since he was born and the longest I have been on my own in over a year.

Five. Whole. Days.

For the non-parents out there, this may not seem like something of significance, but it has been like I have entered into a different world. One that I had completely forgotten about. One of utter selfishness. On the plane to Toronto, I actually was able to have a drink and eat a snack WITH THE TRAY DOWN, go to the bathroom ALL BY MYSELF and go through security in record-breaking time. Once in Toronto, Megan and I dinned, shopped and even went to the SPA! Not once did I haul around a diaper bag or think about nap or bedtimes. It was so foreign to just go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted without consideration to anything or anyone other than myself.

Although it has been, in many ways, a wonderful little break, I wouldn’t trade a lifetime of pedicures to go back to my life before becoming a parent. Not a moment has gone by throughout the past few days where I haven’t been thinking about Henry and Blake, wondering how they are doing, what they’re up to and if Blake is remembering to brush Henry’s teeth. On multiple occasions, I have gotten teary-eyed while flipping through my phone, looking at pictures of Henry, and I’m sure Megan is getting sick of me blabbing on about Henry’s new words, how he’s discovered his belly button and so-on. I can hardly wait to get home and squeeze Henry tight.

Our first snowfall in Sioux Lookout – Nov 13th

Snow!

The sunset illuminating our heron carving which was a birthday/anniversary gift from Blake to me

Blake enjoying the sunset at home

Out for a wintery walk

Since his first birthday, Henry has continued to change and grow in many new ways. I know I’ve said this before, but one of the greatest joys of being a parent is watching your child learn and discover new skills right before your eyes. I can almost see the synapses firing and the connections being laid down in his brain.

Recently, his biggest leaps have been in the language department. While Henry has been babbling and saying Dada, Ada, etc. for quite some time, three weeks ago something suddenly clicked in his brain. We were reading before bed, as we do every night when I was pointing at a picture and saying ‘ball’. Henry suddenly went still, looked at my mouth as I repeated the word, then parroted back, ‘ball’. His face lit up in a huge smile as I congratulated him as he continued to repeat this new discovery. Since then, his vocabulary has really taken off. He now says: shoes, socks, hat, hot, toes, hi, Momma, Dada, Ada, done, please, etc. He points out his teeth, eyes, nose, toes and bellybutton when asked. His receptive language sills are also developing, probably more than I can even appreciate. If you ask him if he would like to listen music, he will immediately start dancing. He knows what’s coming when I tell him it’s time to brush his teeth and he will look for Ada if you ask him to find her.

Blake and Henry watching a ski movie first thing in the morning as Blake drinks his coffee

Henry and I out for an early breakfast date. Henry work up at 6am so we went to the local diner for eggs and toast so that Blake could sleep.

At the library!

Wahoo!

Early morning – Henry’s favourite thing is to switch on and off the bedroom light, much to Blake’s chagrin

Henry is also starting to learn the meaning of ‘no’. Just recently, Blake and I were eating dinner while Henry cruised around the kitchen, pulling the cupboards and drawers open and spilling their contents all over the floor – his most favourite pass-time. He then discovered the drawer where we keep Ada’s dog food. Somehow, he managed to open the tupperware and get his chubby hands into the kibble. We discovered him standing up, one hand on the drawer with the other grasping a mittful of dry dog food. Ada was standing nearby, looking perplexed. Then we realized that he had gone as far as sampling the kibble!! Blake said, ‘No, Henry!’. He regarded us with a serious face, shook his head slowly back and forth, mimicking Blake, then dropped the handful of dog food back in the bin. ‘That too!’, said Blake, pointing at Henry’s mouth. Out came a dry kibble which was also returned to the bin! What a character!

Henry playing with Brooks and Hunter – what fun you can have with a cardboard box!

A snowy/icy walk to Cedar Bay

Henry was loving it 🙂

So was Ada 🙂

Sporting the beautiful sweater that my sister knitted – she’s so talented!

Early morning snuggles – almost time to give up the bottle, except that it is the ONLY time he will be still and I love cuddling him up in the morning.

This is how I cook dinner these days… with Henry pulling all of the pots and pans out of the drawers.

Henry’s hilarious pin-curl. I swear he woke up with it like that! I didn’t put curlers in 🙂

Playing with Dad

Our North trip in November – it was very snowy compared to October!

All of the rez dogs outside of the Northern

The Lansdowne Airport

Chilly!!! Look at those pink cheeks!

In the motor department, Henry still hasn’t taken his first steps, but this hasn’t slowed him down. He continues to scoot around the house, climb up and down whatever he can, and crawl in and out of cupboards. Who needs toys when you have a lazy susan!

Blake thinks I’m crazy, but I swear that Henry knows there is a little brother or sister in there! He will crawl up to me, lift my shirt and kiss and snuggle my belly. He only started doing this recently. It’s so cute.

Grocery shopping!

It’s so fun to watch him play independently these days

My attempts at decorating without spending a dime or having anything end up in the landfill

Henry and Brooks with all of Brooks’ blow-up Christmas friends

Brooks pulling Henry in the sled

A lovely afternoon walk on Abram Lake Road with Keith, baby Sailor, Blake (pulling Brooks on a GT), Henry and I

First sleigh ride of the year

Those curls

Playing in the cupboard

Playing at the Hub (which is an Early Years Centre) – a great place to drop in for the afternoon when its chilly out

Henry’s favourite toy at the Hub

Intensely reading about Thomas the train. Notice how Blake also is influencing his reading repertoire by adding the Ski magazine to his pile.

Henry and I at my prenatal clinic, but this time with me as the patient. Henry was amazing and waited patiently for almost an hour. When I got up on the exam table to listen to the baby, he sat there quietly and smiled  while we heard the baby’s heart beat. It was so sweet.

Playing with Cheerios and a (sterile) urine container – so much fun!

As my pregnancy zips along, I am finding it harder and harder to be lifting Henry, getting up and down off the floor, doing squats to pick up various things while Henry’s on my hips, etc. My pregnancy with Henry was such a breeze. I often forgot I was even pregnant! This time around,  my body is definitely protesting a little. These days, I go do bed with an electric heater for my back and often lay awake in the wee-hours as this little life inside of me kicks and squirms around. It is exciting to think about how life with change yet again when we welcome this little sister or brother in the Spring.  At least this time I’ll have more of a mat leave as I hope to take off at least six months to be home with the our two monkeys! We’re going to be busy on Abram Lake!

Our tree!

My failed attempt at being Martha Stewart. Blake and I were both stitches laughing at my poor gingerbread cookies. Don’t worry, I won’t be quitting my day job!

Henry and Ada with the tree

At the Early Years Centre Christmas party for young families. It was so much fun for Henry to play and interact with so many kids.

Waiting for Santa

He came! Merry Christmas!